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The Plays of the Day from the third day at Old Trafford

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford06-Jun-2010Decision of the dayIt was by no means a given that Andrew Strauss would enforce the follow-on when England ended Bangladesh’s first innings on the second evening. However, the damp Manchester morning that greeted the team on Sunday did Strauss a massive favour. If he was pondering extending the lead and letting the pitch wear, overcast skies meant it was a no-brainer to stick Bangladesh back in – 34.1 overs later the match was over and England had earned themselves two days off.Failure of the dayThe stuffing was knocked out of Bangladesh’s effort with just the second ball when their swashbuckling hero, Tamim Iqbal, fended at a rising delivery from James Anderson and feathered an edge to Matt Prior. The visitors have ridden on Tamim’s outstanding form during this tour, a continuation of what he showed in Bangladesh earlier this year, but he was due a failure after six fifties in seven innings. His success has clearly rattled England and Anderson’s pumped-up celebration when he claimed the scalp showed how vital they knew the wicket was. And that is the biggest compliment Tamim can be paid.Action replay of the dayWith Tamim gone early England sensed blood with Anderson hooping the ball away from the Stretford End and Steven Finn steaming in from the Brian Statham End. Finn was gaining considerable bounce off a length and had Imrul Kayes in an almighty tangle with a bouncer that the left-hander fended off his gloves. His demise didn’t feel far away and he soon top-edged his second hook of the match to find the man at deep square-leg, giving an identical entry in the scorebook to yesterday: c Shahzad b Finn. Meanwhile, England will feel their plans have worked with Kayes falling to the short ball – and Finn – in all four innings.Pain of the dayMushfiqur Rahim is a gutsy cricketer and a mighty fine batsman who, in the long term, may be better suited to shelving the keeping gloves and being in the top five. When he walked to the crease his team was in tatters at 37 for 5 but he still tried to battle it out in stronger fashion than some of his top-order team-mates. During a testing spell from Ajmal Shahzad, Rahim took a nasty blow on the bottom hand as some extra bounce caught his glove and left him in considerable discomfort.
After some treatment from the physio he fought on, but grimaced more than once and the pain probably played a part in his limp chip to midwicket. Finn claimed the wicket, but Shahzad’s role was key.Sub of the dayWhen England play Test matches at home they rely on the local county to supply the substitute fielders so that squad players can return to their domestic teams. It means the opportunity for someone to grab a moment in the spotlight. Occasionally they play a vital role in victory, as when Paul Weekes took two sharp chances at short leg against West Indies, at Lord’s, in 1995. This time, the catch struck the way of Karl Brown, the Lancashire batsman, at midwicket was a simple affair but it will have given him great joy to cling on and savour helping England take a wicket.

Hampshire opening batsman Jimmy Adams scored his second Friends Provident t20 century of the season to help crush Glamorgan by 54 runs at the Rose Bowl

02-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Jimmy Adams’ second Twenty20 hundred of the season included 16 fours•Getty Images

Hampshire opening batsman Jimmy Adams scored his second Friends Provident t20 century of the season to help crush Glamorgan by 54 runs at the Rose Bowl. Adams, who scored a century against Surrey earlier in the campaign, hit an unbeaten 100 as Hampshire eased to a comfortable victory.Hampshire rattled up 199 for 5 from their 20 overs with Adams reaching his century in the final over. Adams struck 16 fours and faced 61 balls after his captain, Nic Pothas, decided to bat first.
Adams lost opening partner, Michael Lumb, on 33 but then featured in a stand of 90 for the second wicket in only 8.5 overs with promising talent James Vince. Vince fell with the score on 123 after hitting a six and three fours in his 39, but his loss failed to halt Hampshire’s surge.Sean Ervine was third out to leave the hosts 163 for 3 and Neil McKenzie fell two balls later, but there was no denying Adams. When Huw Waters began bowling the final over of the innings Adams was on 94 and he almost immediately lost Dominic Cork, who was run out by David Brown.But he kept his composure to reach his century with two balls to spare having put the hosts in a commanding position. Waters was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers finishing with three wickets for 30 from his four overs while veteran Robert Croft conceded only 24 from his four.Glamorgan needed 10 an over to win and they never looked like reaching their target. They lost Jim Allenby with the score on 24 but there was always an outside chance with big-hitting Australian Mark Cosgrove at the crease.Cosgrove thumped three sixes in a quick-fire innings of 33 but from the moment he hit Chris Wood to a diving Cork at the start of the sixth over, Glamorgan rapidly faded as a steady procession of wickets followed.Left-arm spinner Danny Briggs sent back Gareth Rees, Croft and Chris Ashling first ball to finish with 3 for 27. Glamorgan were 116 for 9 at the start of the 17th over but a late flurry of runs from Mark Wallace and last man Waters at least ensured they batted out their overs.The last wicket pair put on 29 over the final four overs with Wallace finishing as top scorer with an unbeaten 42 off 26 balls having hit two sixes.

Australia were struck by another fitness concern ahead of the Leeds Test after Marcus North failed to train on Monday due to a stomach upset.

Brydon Coverdale in Leeds19-Jul-2010Australia were struck by another fitness concern ahead of the Leeds Test after Marcus North failed to train on Monday due to a stomach upset. Ben Hilfenhaus did not bowl during the practice session as he continues to recover from a shoulder problem picked up during the Lord’s Test.Although the Australians remain hopeful that both North and Hilfenhaus will be fine by the start of the match on Wednesday, Peter George and Usman Khawaja will be keeping a close eye on the pair. George would be in line for a debut if Hilfenhaus sat out, while the uncapped Khawaja is the only backup batsman in the squad.If North was to sit out, it wouldn’t be the first Test he had missed due to illness; a bout of gastro ruled him out in Cape Town last year and allowed Bryce McGain to make his debut. The Australians have called Clint McKay in as a cover player but the physio Alex Kountouris is still working with Hilfenhaus, who is hoping to play.”I don’t think he bowled today, he’s still seeing the physio but he’s certainly improving,” the vice-captain Michael Clarke said. “Fingers crossed, hopefully he’ll be right come day one of the Test match.”He’s had a few niggles over the last couple of years of his career. He’ll be disappointed if he misses the Test match but he’s in good hands with Alex, he knows what’s going on and has spent a lot of time with Hilfy over the last year or so. I think he’ll get him on the park. If he misses out it gives someone else an opportunity.”Australia have handed out plenty of baggy greens over the past two and a half years, with 17 debutants since the start of 2008. Tim Paine and Steven Smith were the latest additions to that list at Lord’s, and time will tell if George or Khawaja join them on this trip.

Daren Ganga who led Trinidad and Tobago to the finals of the Champions League Twenty20 last year will be in charge of the team for the upcoming Caribbean T20 Tournament which will commence on July 22

Cricinfo staff11-Jul-2010Daren Ganga who led Trinidad and Tobago to the finals of the Champions League Twenty20 last year will be in charge of the team for the upcoming Caribbean T20 Tournament which will commence on July 22. The side is packed with quality allrounders such as Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo who are known for their prowess in the shortest format. Imran Khan, Kevon Cooper, Lendl Simmons, Samuel Badree, Navin Stewart and Sherwin Ganga are the other notable allrounders in the side.Ryan Hinds, the left-arm spinning allrounder will lead the Bajan challenge in the tournament, and his side includes four other players who have represented West Indies at the highest level. The presence of Sulieman Benn, Dale Richards, Dwayne Smith and Kemar Roach makes Barbados strong contenders for the title, and their experience will be complemented well by the three new faces in the side.Jason Hinds, Ryan’s brother, is an offspinner adept at batting at various positions. Jason was impressive in the last two editions of the General T20 championship in addition to stand-out performances with the ball in the Barbados Cricket Association’s trials for the Caribbean T20. Ashley Nurse will also bolster the spin attack with his off-breaks, while Larry Babb is a left-arm seamer who can be dangerous with the bat, as evidenced in his 46 off 25 balls during one of the trial games.Omar Phillips will take over captaincy of the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) side from Floyd Reifer, who will now coach the side in addition to his role as a player. Other senior members of the CCC side include wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton and offspinner Ryan Austin, who both made their Test debuts last year.The Caribbean T20 tournament will be contested by two groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, followed by a final and a third-place playoff. The remaining squads are to be named on July 13.The winner of the tournament will be the sole Caribbean representative in the second edition of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament to be held in South Africa later this year.Trinidad and Tobago squad: Daren Ganga (capt), Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, William Perkins, Kieron Pollard, Kevon Cooper, Imran Khan, Samuel Badree, Sherwin Ganga, Navin Stewart, Dave Mohammed, Denesh Ramdin.Barbados squad: Ryan Hinds (capt), Jason Hinds, Alcindo Holder, Javon Searles, Kevin Stoute, Larry Babb, Sulieman Benn, Jonathan Carter, Kirk Edwards, Kemar Roach, Carlo Morris, Dale Richards, Ashley Nurse, Dwayne Smith; Desmond Haynes (manager), Emmerson Trotman (coach), Vasbert Drakes (assistant coach), Jacqui King-Mowatt (physiotherapist).Combined Campuses and Colleges squad: Omar Phillips (capt), Floyd Reifer (player/coach), Ryan Austin, Miles Bascombe, Ruel Brathwaite, Romel Currency, Kavesh Kantasingh, Gilford Moore, Kjorn Ottley, Nekoli Parris, Raymon Reifer, Marlon Richards, Chadwick Walton, Ryan Wiggins, Barrington Yearwood.

Set a demanding target of 361 in a minimum of 76 overs on the last day of this game at Grace Road, Leicestershire fell just 23 runs short

George Dobell at Grace Road27-Aug-2010

ScorecardSometimes the margins between success and failure really are agonisingly small. While history may well remember the summer of 2010 as one of the most miserable in the history of Leicestershire CCC, it could all have been different.Set a demanding target of 361 in a minimum of 76 overs on the last day of this game at Grace Road, Leicestershire fell just 23 runs short. Had they won, it would have been the fourth highest successful run chase in their Championship history and they would have jumped to third in the table.As it is, however, the draw for which they were forced to settle ends any lingering promotion hopes and, realistically, any chance they had of focusing on cricket for the last month of the season. There will be no silver lining for Leicestershire.In the end, Surrey almost stole the win. With Chris Tremlett suddenly transformed into a world-class fast bowler – which is not how he looked for most of the day – Leicestershire lost 5 for 42 in 11 overs of the final session and were left clinging on with eight wickets down.Surrey didn’t really deserve the win. Tremlett’s last spell apart, their bowling was toothless and their fielding quite awful. For young men, the likes of Arun Harinath and Tom Lancefield (‘Lance-can’t-field’ as one comedian in the press box puts it) are remarkably ponderous and unreliable.There were times when some of Surrey’s more senior players could barely conceal their frustration. Still, both sides deserve credit for showing the enterprise to set-up a run chase. While the declaration bowling in the morning was far from pretty, it did allow for a fascinating final couple of sessions.Leicestershire were well on track at one stage, too. A stand of 183 in 36 overs for the fourth wicket between Jacques du Toit and Paul Nixon ensured the run-rate never climbed much above six and, with both men going well, Surrey looked bereft of ideas.Both men scored their first championship centuries of the season. Du Toit, who pulled impressively and drove one straight six off Gareth Batty’s off-spin, started cautiously (his first 50 contained just one boundary and occupied 96 balls) but accelerated smoothly, with his second 50 taking just 46 deliveries. 39-year-old Nixon was less orthodox. Several times he demonstrated his penchant for the reverse-sweep, but he also ran between the wickets superbly and drove nicely. His century contained nine boundaries and occupied 140 balls.Intriguingly, both men are out of contract at the end of this season and far from certain to win new deals. These innings may not make much difference, either. Increasingly it is finance, not cricketing merit, that will govern such issues and, as many players may shortly discover, it will not pay to be out of contract at the end of the next couple of seasons.The loss of du Toit, clipping to mid-wicket, precipitated a decline, however. Tremlett produced yorker after yorker to dry up the scoring and, when Nixon was deceived by Jade Dernbach’s excellent slower ball and dragged it on to his stumps, the chase was over. It was a brave effort from Leicestershire, however. Particularly for a side dismissed as “dreadful” by their own chairman on the first morning of the match.Meanwhile, off the pitch, Leicestershire’s board held an informal meeting on Thursday night to discuss the implications of the players’ letter demanding the resignation of the chairman, Neil Davidson.The board subsequently released a statement which, more or less, said nothing. It read: “An informal meeting of Directors took place on Thursday 26th August to
bring those Directors returning from holiday up to date with recent events at the club. A full Board meeting is scheduled for Friday 3rd September when the Chairman returns from holiday. A statement will be released after that meeting.” Elsewhere, the petitioners calling for a Special General Meeting have written to the club’s president, David Wilson, asking him to intervene in the matter.

Chennai Super Kings need to win to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals, while Warriors can make it even if they lose by a small margin

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran21-Sep-2010

Match facts

Wednesday, September 22
Start time 1730 (1530 GMT)Davey Jacobs has been in top form for Warriors•AFP

Big Picture

First up the basics: Chennai Super Kings need to win to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals, while Warriors can make it even if they lose by a small margin. For example, if they are chasing 160, they can afford to lose by no more than 27 runs, while if Warriors score 160 batting first, they’ll have to ensure Chennai take at least 16.4 overs to reach their target.
The presence of two weak teams – Wayamba and Central Districts – in Group A means there’s a chance that a side can get knocked out from the Champions League for losing only one game in the tournament. Warriors have won all their matches so far, but a big defeat against Chennai Super Kings will mean there will be no home teams in the semi-finals. Similarly, Victoria have swept all before them after flopping in their opening game, but still have to nervously watch the Warriors-Chennai match to know their fate.The superb form of Warriors’ captain and opener, Davey Jacobs, is one reason why they are best-placed to progress but the top-order’s effectiveness has hidden a potential weakness – a shallow middle order. Johan Botha looks to be playing a position too high at No. 6 but Jacobs wasn’t too concerned by it. “We have Nicky Boje, who comes after Botha, and has scored couple of ODI hundreds,” Jacobs said. “So I am very confident about my team’s batting. We have done everything we could to get here. We shall continue to do those basics.”For Chennai, the department to worry about is probably the bowling. While they have two world-class performers in Doug Bollinger and Muttiah Muralitharan, their local bowlers, medium-pacer L Balaji and offspinner R Ashwin, need to bounce back from the pasting they received in the previous match.

Team news

One decision Chennai will have to make is regarding which Australian batsman to pick: Matthew Hayden was out of touch in his two outings in the tournament, while Michael Hussey scored at less than run-a-ball against Victoria. Albie Morkel’s fitness is also a source of worry.Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Matthew Hayden / Michael Hussey, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 S Badrinath, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 S Anirudha, 7 Albie Morkel / Justin Kemp, 8 Doug Bollinger, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 L Balaji.Justin Kreusch has had little to do with bat or ball in the previous two matches but his ability to bat should win him a place in a team with a longish tail. Warriors may also toy with the idea of playing Garnett Kruger in place of one of the three frontline quicks.Warriors (probable): 1 Davey Jacobs (capt), 2 Ashwell Prince, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 Craig Thyssen, 5 Mark Boucher (wk), 6 Johan Botha, 7 Justin Kreusch, 8 Nicky Boje, 9 Rusty Theron, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Watch out for …

Colin Ingram will be celebrating his maiden call-up to the South African team, a reward for topping the run-charts in the Pro20 to lead the Warriors to the title. He has been off-colour in the Champions League, and Wednesday’s crunch match could be the one where he shows off his talent to a wider audience.As the leading run-getter after three seasons of the IPL, Suresh Raina’s importance to Chennai as a batsman is well-known. Against Victoria on Saturday, he showcased his talents as a spinner, taking four wickets and was even entrusted with the responsibility of bowling the tense final over of a tight game.

Key contests

Jacobs v Bollinger: Jacobs’ big-hitting has been pivotal to Warriors’ three consecutive wins, and he has also boldly spoken of how important he can be to South Africa in the Twenty20 format. He has been overlooked for South Africa’s Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan. A confident performance against Bollinger, an in-form quick bowler in a high-pressure match, will give the selectors another reminder of his ability.
Makhaya Ntini v Chennai: From being one of the world’s leading bowlers, Ntini has regressed so much that not only does he not get a much of a look-in for South Africa these days, even his IPL team hasn’t given him an opportunity in two seasons. Wednesday’s match will be a chance for him to show Chennai what they are missing.

Stats and trivia

• The match features the two most economical bowlers (minimum five overs) of the tournament: Johan Botha (4.83) and Muttiah Muralitharan (5.38)
• Albie Morkel is mostly known in Twenty20s for his big-hitting lower down the order. With 104 wickets, he is also the second-highest wicket-taker in the format, behind Dirk Nannes

A round-up of the action from the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge where West Indies, South Africa and Pakistan all recorded victories

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2010

ScorecardStafanie Taylor’s century set up a crushing win•International Cricket Council

Former captain Stafanie Taylor blasted West Indies to a 148-run win over Netherlands on the opening day of the the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge in Potchefstroom.Opening the innings after Netherlands captain Helmien Rambaldo won the toss and put West Indies in, Taylor thrashed 147 from 141 balls to launch West Indies to an imposing 283. In contrast the Netherlands chase never got going as they were restricted to 135 for 8 from 50 overs.Taylor received able support from Stacy-Ann King who made 22 in an 80-run stand for the fourth wicket but it was the following 113-run stand with Deandra Dottin that carried West Indies out of sight.Dottin shot to prominence when she became the first woman in history to score a Twenty20 international hundred – which she made off 38 balls – against South Africa in the World Twenty20 earlier this year and she was in typically aggressive form in this game, reaching 59 from 58 balls. The standout innings, however, came from Taylor who smashed 15 fours and a six before falling in the penultimate over.The total was always going to be beyond Netherlands but their approach seemed more concerned with survival than at giving themselves a chance of victory. Esther Lanser top-scored with 39 at the top of the order, but her innings, which came off 92 balls set the tone.Rambaldo’s 27 was the only other score of note as the rest of the line up struggled to get to grips with the West Indies attack. Dottin made her good day even better by picking up 2 for 15 from her seven overs of medium pace as Netherlands crept to 135 for 8 to finish well short.

ScorecardSouth Africa thrashed their Sri Lankan counterparts by 153 runs – rolling them out for 75 after battling to 228 on the North-West University No2 Ground.The spin pair of Dane van Niekerk and Sunette Loubser were the chief destroyers, taking four wickets each to help inspire a collapse from 50 for 2 to 75 all out in 10.5 overs. Just three players reached double-figures, Chamari Polgampola top-scoring with 25 at the top of the order. The 4 for 13 that 17-year-old legspinner van Niekerk finished with was her best figures and she now has 15 wickets from seven ODIs.What was barely a contest in Sri Lanka’s chase was more of a tussle in the South Africa innings. Captain Cri-zelda Brits anchored the innings with 78 from 108 balls. At 131 for 3 it looked as though a big total would be built but Polgampola struck back with three wickets to help reduce South Africa to 189 for 7 by the time Brits fell.Yet Loubser and Shabnim Ismail rallied to take the score to 228. It meant that Brits’ knock, which featured six fours, was not wasted and allowed enough for the bowlers to surge to victory.

ScorecardPakistan gave their country’s cricket fans some much-needed cheer by thrashing Ireland in their opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge in Potchefstroom.Opting to field they made light work of the Ireland line-up, bundling them out for 116 in 31.5 overs. Only three players made reached double- figures as Asmavia Iqbal took an impressive 3 for 17 from nine overs. She was ably backed up by Kanwal Naz who took 3 for 18 with her left-arm spin.Jill Whelan top-scored for Ireland, striking three boundaries in her 18 before being run-out. All around her the Ireland line-up came and went in a procession leaving a simple chase for Pakistan.Whelan followed up her relative success with the bat by taking the first wicket in the second over of Pakistan’s chase but that only brought Nain Abidi to the crease. She laid a sound platform alongside Javeria Khan in a 50-run second-wicket stand and despite two more wickets falling, Abidi held firm to reach an unbeaten fifty and seal the victory.

Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir arrived in Dubai on Friday to appeal against their provisional suspensions for alleged involvement in spot-fixing

Osman Samiuddin29-Oct-2010Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir arrived in Dubai on Friday to appeal against their provisional suspensions for alleged involvement in spot-fixing. The pair left Lahore accompanied by their lawyers and will now appear at a hearing over Saturday and Sunday with Michael Beloff, the chairman of the ICC’s code of conduct commission.Butt and Amir, along with Mohammad Asif, were suspended by the ICC on September 2, after being charged with various offences under Article 2 of the ICC’s anti-corruption code; Asif has since withdrawn his appeal. The suspensions came after the claimed to have exposed a scam in which deliberate, planned no-balls would be bowled by Amir and Asif during the Lord’s Test against England, with the involvement of Butt, who was then captain.The ICC had initially wanted the PCB to take action against their own players, but were compelled to step in eventually after Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, indicated that the trio was available for selection for the ODI series that followed. Eventually, the players “voluntarily” withdrew from that series and the ICC handed out notices and suspended them the same day.The hearings will only concern themselves with the matter of the provisional suspensions and whether or not the ICC followed the correct procedures in taking that action. The matter of the players’ innocence or guilt and the actual charges against them will not be heard. Thus, even if the suspensions are lifted and the players allowed to return to cricket, a full hearing into the case will still take place later to determine their innocence or guilt in the matter. This is thought to be one of the reasons why Asif withdrew his appeal; unlike Amir and Butt, even if his suspension is lifted, he would not have been able to play for Pakistan immediately because he is barred – for a drug-related offence – from entering the UAE, where Pakistan’s current series against South Africa is taking place.The hearing is expected to be a detailed one where the players and their lawyers will be allowed the opportunity to build their cases. The ICC lawyers will be the only other people inside the hearing and though there is expected to be evidence from the ACSU placed in front of Beloff, he is expected to only listen to the arguments of the players and not argue or discuss their innocence or guilt.The players cannot appeal against the decision of these hearings. The next step, irrespective of the outcome here, will be the full hearing before the independent tribunal. The date of that is not yet decided and may well depend on the outcome of the ongoing police investigation over the matter in the UK, where the case against the players is with the Crown Prosecution Service.Of the three, Butt has been increasingly vocal over the last few weeks, making a number of public statements expressing confidence that his suspension will be lifted and that he will eventually be cleared. Before leaving early on Friday morning, similar sentiments were expressed once again. “Either you are guilty or you are not, and I think I am not guilty and I am sure about it,” he told reporters at the airport.He will be represented in Dubai by his lawyer Aftab Gul, a former Test cricketer, and Khalid Ranjha, a former law minister. Both share the confidence of their client. “We are going for justice in their court,” Gul said. “We can’t pre-empt what decision they give, it’s their discretion, but our case is very good. There is no strong evidence against Salman Butt on the basis of which we can say that he should remain suspended.”Amir, who has not made a statement throughout this time, said on departure that he hoped he could return to the side. He will be represented by Shahid Karim, the lawyer who defended Asif in a doping case in October 2006.Though two full days have been set aside for the hearings it is not certain that it will take that much time to reach a judgment. The two days were scheduled keeping in mind that there were three players initially appealing. “It will be eight hours hearing daily, but I don’t think it’s a 16 hours case,” Gul said.A swift return for Butt and Amir could be on the cards should a favourable decision be reached. Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, told that he would seek a no-objection certificate from the PCB immediately should they be cleared to play by the ICC.

Kevin Pietersen was in bullish mood after launching his Ashes tour with a confident 58 against Western Australia and feels “on fire” after his short stint in South Africa ahead of travelling to Australia.

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2010Kevin Pietersen was in bullish mood after launching his Ashes tour with a confident 58 against Western Australia and feels “on fire” after his short stint in South Africa ahead of travelling to Australia.Pietersen’s form was the biggest boost to come out of the second day at the WACA but the rest of England’s top order struggled as they visitors slipped to 8 for 159 before Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann clubbed a face-saving partnership. Pietersen hasn’t scored an international hundred since March 2009, against West Indies in Trinidad, and even though England have been successful during his lean run many feel he has to perform for them to retain the Ashes.Pietersen, given a life in the slips on 25, drove strongly through the off side and used his feet to loft Michael Beer, the left-arm spinner, down the ground before miscuing a drive to gully off Michael Hogan and he said his confidence is now coming flooding back.”I have never really been a technical player, you’ve seen me play for six years,” he said. “I play like a clown, it is my mental approach that I needed to change. I needed to get a load of confidence back and I’m on fire at the moment, so I am very happy.””I really enjoyed today, it is always nice to get time out in the middle,” Pietersen added. “I have been working really hard over the last six weeks to get to a place where I am at at the moment. As I said, coming back from South Africa a couple of weeks I feel top draw again.”This was his first innings for England since making a first-ball duck in the final Test against Pakistan, at Lord’s, in August. He was omitted for the Twenty20 and one-day series which and signed a loan deal with Surrey before organising his own trip to the Natal Dolphins in a quest to regain his form by linking up with one of his mentors, Graham Ford.”It was amazing, I have worked with him since I was six or seven years old and he is a great family friend,” he said. “Fordy just knows me. He knows how to sort me out.”Pietersen insisted that he hasn’t taken any notice of Australia’s problems in recent days as they slumped to a series defeat against Sri Lanka amid talk of disquiet in the team.”I haven’t watched a single ball,” he said. “My computer is turned on to Skype, and I speak to my wife and my baby as much as I can. I haven’t even turned my television on in Australia; I haven’t read a headline, nothing. Somebody told me this morning that they lost, but that’s got nothing to do with us.”

Ireland captain William Porterfield has been named captain of the ICC’s team of the tournament for the group stage of the Intercontinental Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2010Ireland captain William Porterfield was picked as captain of the ICC’s team of the tournament for the group stage of the Intercontinental Cup. The team includes five players from Afghanistan and Scotland, the tournament finalists, and was selected by a panel of experts named by the coaches and captains of the seven participants.”This was by no means an easy task this year with so many teams providing worthy candidates for the team of the tournament,” said the ICC’s high-performance manager Richard Done, who chaired the panel. “Afghanistan feature heavily in the side, unsurprisingly, since they have had a good tournament so far.”The team – which will be presented with specially struck medals – comprises players from six countries with four of the XI from Afghanistan. Three are from Ireland and there are two players from Kenya and one each from Netherlands, Zimbabwe and Scotland.To be nominated, players must have appeared in at least three out of his team’s six Intercontinental Cup round-robin matches. The coaches and captains were also asked to nominate a captain from the players they picked.The ICC also announced the team of the tournament for the group stage of the ICC Intercontinental Shield. Eight players from UAE and Namibia – the finalists – feature in the team, and UAE captain Khurram Khan will be captaining the XI.”The majority of the team is made up of the two finalists, Namibia and UAE, which is a reflection of the hard work the players have put in throughout the Intercontinental Shield,” Done said. “This is the tournament’s first year and we’ve seen good progress from all the four teams involved in the event. The sides’ skills have improved continuously with the regular games and playing the four-day format.”The XI – picked along the same lines as the Cup side – also includes three players from Uganda and one from Bermuda. To be nominated, players must have appeared in at least two out of his team’s three ICC Intercontinental Shield 2009-10 round-robin matches.ICC Intercontinental Cup XI: William Porterfield (Ireland, capt), Noor Ali (Afghanistan), Steve Tikolo (Kenya), Vusi Sibanda (Zimbabwe XI), Andrew White (Ireland), Muhammad Shahzad (Afghanistan, wicketkeeper), Hamid Hassan (Afghanistan), Trent Johnston (Ireland), Nehemiah Odhiambo (Kenya), Mohammed Nabi (Afghanistan), Mohammed Haq (Scotland), 12th Man: Peter Borren (Netherlands)ICC Intercontinental Shield XI: Arshad Ali (UAE), Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Khurram Khan (UAE, captain), Craig Williams (Namibia), Ewald Steenkamp (Nambia),Lawrence Sematimba (wicketkeeper, Uganda), Louis Klazinga (Namibia), Amjad Javed (UAE), Dennis Tabby (Uganda), Fayyaz Ahmed (UAE), Frank Nsubuga (Uganda),12th Man: David Hemp (Bermuda)